The Phoenix & The Lion
by CherryBlossomTrinity
Summary: He was a cold hard killer. She wasn't any better. The difference? He was a caged Lion, and She a free Phoenix. They were dark creatures, fighting for their freedom-and to maintain it. Let the Lion prowl. Let the Pheonix fly.
1. Let The Lion Prowl, Let The Phoenix Fly

Heyy all :) Im CBT (Trinn). This is my first fic, a Jasper/Bella story, and the events of the books never happened. This Teaser is placed in 1855, but the events of the story don't really start until about 1862-3. Please, give me feedback (no flames please, they make me sad), I wanna know if people are liking it and if I should continue. DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to Twilight, I am NOT Stephenie Meyer. I do, however, own a fat cat named Tiger. :) Enjoy.

**The Pheonix & The Lion**

**Chapter One~** _Let the Lion prowl, Let the Phoenix fly._

He was a cold hard killer. She wasn't any better. The difference? He was a caged lion, and She a free phoenix. He prowled behind bars while she flew through open skies without anything or anyone to stop her. He was tied by invisible bonds of loyalty and pain, with no way out and only one direction to go. They were dark creatures, fighting for their freedom - and to maintain it. Let the Lion prowl. Let the Phoenix fly.

Sweetwater, Texas, 1855

"Isabelle!" A rather infuriated woman called from the back porch. The girl in question froze as she put a leather rope on it's hook in the barn, large, doe brown eyes widening in slight fear. Mama would definitely ban her from ever going in there if she was caught on the little pony. She thanked the gods that she had already gotten off and dusted her dress clean of hay.

The little girl came out of the barn with an innocent look on her young, pretty face, holding a bucket with oats in it. The Texas sun was setting behind the far off mountains, staining the fields in a gold and pink glow. Isabelle did not care for the setting sun, she would be out in the barn all night if it where allowed. But unfortunately, even for a farm girl, she was kept like a porcelain doll by her mother. She was not allowed out past sunset, could not ride the little pony even with her Papa's help, and definitely couldn't get her dress dirty. Isabelle obeyed not one of these rules.

Her mother stood on the porch, her thin arms crossed over her chest. She had light brown, short, cropped hair and grey eyes like the storming sea. Almost none of her features but her little, button nose showed in her 9 year old daughter. The little girl who now walked towards the house had hair the colour of chestnuts, with red tints in the setting sun. It cascaded down her back in soft tunnel curls, all the way to her hips. Another thing she got from her mother was her pale skin. It was creamy ivory in colour, and with her delicate features one could actually relate her to a doll, hence the pedestal her mother kept her on.

"You better not have been riding that pony or so help me I will lock you up for the rest of your years!" Her mother fumed as Isabelle put the bucket next to the steps.

"Now, now Renee, calm down, I bet she was just givin' the horses some treats. You know how she likes to spoil them. Now Isabelle, go inside and wash up for dinner." A deep, southern accented voice said as a man came around the side of the house. His features matched Isabelle's, but his hair was short and he had a moustache on his upper lip.

Isabelle smiled at her Papa with straight, white teeth before running inside, thankful she had a savoir from her Mama's ever long lectures.

After dinner Isabelle sat on the porch swing by herself, watching as the last few rays of light disappeared behind the fields and the mountains beyond. She felt as if she had been put into a life that was not hers. Her mind was wise for her years, but she still loved trouble. She wanted those fields to be within her reach, to be allowed to ride her pony across the great expanse without anyone telling her she couldn't. She wanted to swim in oceans and fly in the sky, with nothing but herself and her soul. Isabelle longed for something bigger, something better that could not hold her down or cage her. She longed to be free.

No one realized it, but that night the Phoenix was awakened for the first time, and it would stop at nothing to be free. Fly Phoenix, fly.

350 Miles away, Houston, Texas.

"Jasper!" An accented southern twang called from the barn's large loft. The boy below looked up, his curly, honey blond hair falling in his sky blue eyes as he waited for his Pa to continue his sentence.

A small bail of hay hit him from behind, commanding his attention towards another man behind him. His uncle had a smile on his face as Jasper frowned at him, then went to pick up the hay so he could toss it up to his Pa in the loft.

"Come on boy! We ain't got all day, and don't get on me 'bout bein' tired, cause any 11 year old can heave a bail of hay!" His Pa hollered, and Jasper sighed before chucking the bundle up at him.

It wasn't that Jasper minded helping on the ranch-he absolutely loved it- it was just that he would much rather be out in the fields on a horse with his twin brother. His Pa had recently decided that Jasper wasn't helping in the barn enough, and so Jasper had been in there instead of herding cattle with one of his uncles.

The large barn was a little stuffy, and Jasper's eyes slightly itched from the loose hay dust in the air. The shutters were open, letting a cool breeze calm their heated skin and still shielding them from the hot Texas sun. Horses whinnied in their stalls, shaking their long manes free of the flies that tormented them.

Jasper was freed from the barn a little while later to do as he pleased until his father and uncles needed him. He quickly looped a bridle over a little chestnut mare's head and made his way towards the hills bareback, looking for his twin.

Jasper loved riding. It was his way of escaping the never ending work of the ranch. He loved the sun on his back and the wind in his hair, nothing but the long, green grass and rolling hills around him. His free spirit soared above him as he spread his arms, the horse beneath him galloping freely over the smooth ground, guiding him wherever it pleased.

He longed for the strength to run as his steed did then, longed for the pure power and energy to race the birds above him anywhere he pleased. Jasper looked up into the sun, his wiry arms still spread wide, and prayed for a dream come true.

That day was when the Lion leapt from his heart, fighting for freedom. Roar Lion, roar.

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><p>So, what do you think? This is my first fanfic, and I need feedback to see if I should continue. This is a bit of a teaser, so please REVIEW! :)<p>

Love,

Trinn


	2. Eternal Bond

Helloooo again :) I'm sorry this chapter came alittle slower than I hoped it would, so from now on I'm gonna try to get atleast one chapter week. I'd like to thank my first five reviewers, who made me practicly squeal in delite when I read their feedback. Thank you **MinxyBoo, ccgnme, Nematocera, NatashaK89**, and **Yelena Herondale**, for being awesome readers, and I hope this chapter is to your liking.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.

Also, I am taking suggestions, because I'm not completely sure where this story is going yet, just a general direction. So please just drop me an idea if you have one, and I'll dedicate a chapter to you :) So, here is the second chapter. Enjoy :)

**The Phoenix & The Lion**

**Chapter Two**: _Eternal Bond _

**Lion**

Shrieks of newborn rage. Cries for the white hot burn to end. Bright crimson eyes and harsh words for silence that went disobeyed. The never ending cycle of new life and quick death. This was what he lived for, this was all he knew. Hate, rage, thirst and lust. It was all he felt every moment of every day. Not many thoughts swam in his mind- She had banished them and replaced them with this eternal tirade the moment She had sunk her teeth into the then-soft skin of his neck.

Sometimes, he would feel something strange inside him, something he had long forgotten and abandoned. It burned inside him, a flame that never prevailed, reminding him of something lost long ago that flared when he felt grass under his feet or the sun trying to warm his eternally cold skin. But then it would vanish, and the hate would return full force, making him forget the feeling and continue as a merciless, battle hardened killer.

He was numb to it all. Nothing but predatory instinct filled his cold, dead heart. No emotion. No pity. No purpose other than to do as he was told. Anything to please Her, to make her favour him. Because they all knew that favour meant fortune, and fortune meant food. The need to hunt out ruled all friendship. Thirst and survival came before anything and everything.

He made his way through the dark camp, bare feet treading softly on the compacted, dry dirt. It sent a flash of longing through him for a moment, a longing for soft, green grass and bright, sunny fields, that fire he did not understand, and shoved away as soon as it flashed into being.

Moving quickly towards his destination, a large, blood spattered tent, he heard a sickeningly sweet voice, one that brought many hungers to the forefront of his mind. He had been successful on his mission, and She would reward him for his obedience and skill. Thirst flared and lust rose, it was a promise- Her words- a promise of fortune.

Jasper spent his every moment obeying orders. The dream of freedom long vanished as the Lion spent it's days fuelling his anger, ripping and tearing pearl white limbs from their bodies. It thirsted for more, trying to sate the hunger of confinement that loyalty to his Sire created.

The Lion inside gave him the strength to survive in Maria's camp. But it never had enough power and will to break free of the bonds that tied him there and kept him from sweeping away like a shadow in the night. She did, after all, have his brother.

**Phoenix**

The sun glittered on her diamond skin, creating rainbow prisms across the smooth, pale granite. She stretched her hearing; the sound of bird calls high above and the distant neigh of horses were a comforting sound. It reminded her of the few, fuzzy memories she still held of her human years.

She pondered upon what it would feel like to fly, not just fall through the air as she did when she dived into the salty ocean from a peak high above. But to actually spread a pair of wings and leap into the sky that spread above her, diving and soaring on warm air currents that tingled her icy skin. She thought they would be a soft brown colour, with creamy white speckled in. 'Nothing magnificent,' she mused to herself 'just something soft and simple, because that is how it should be.'

A warm breeze caressed her face, making her close her eyes and breath in, her heightened senses picking up the sweet smell of fresh grass, wild flowers and horse. Her mind was at ease, only thoughts on the feel of the land around her. The tall, pale green grass to her knees and beneath her bare feet, the way the bright sun lay it's rays on her and made her smile a small smile.

Something stirred in her, something that had not been touched in a long time. She frowned slightly as an old scene flashed before her eyes.

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><p><em>A sunset, and the feel of a warm hand in hers, pulling her along towards a black and grey dappled mare in a large pasture<em>.

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><p>It sent her thoughts reeling from their previous calm and on how real that hand had felt. She tugged on her memory, begging it to relinquish the face that belonged to it, but it did not prevail. So she focused on the horse, the pretty, dark eyes she owned, and the frown disappeared from her face.<p>

Opening her eyes, Isabelle looked off into the distance, towards the sound and scent of wild horses. Smiling brightly, she slowly made her way towards them.

The Phoenix embraced her heart as Isabelle drifted through the fields and over rolling hills. It reminded her of how free she really was, how at peace she was with both her tranquil side and her predatory side. She had been granted her freedom the moment she had awoken from the three day burn and she thrived, following her every desire without being held back. The Phoenix guided her, freedom making her heart sore as the firebird did.

Yet, at times, she would wonder why she felt unwhole, like there was a piece missing. Then the Phoenix would emerge, wrapping her in it's wings and bringing the lingering memories to a halt. But it could never banish the way she had felt when that hand slipped into hers. The way her heart swelled with something old and timeless. A flame the would never extinguish.

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><p>A young man pulled his companion to her feet from where she sat on the soft grass, her bare feet digging into it as she laughed, trying to release herself from his hold. He grinned at the sound of her bell-like giggle, twirling her in a circle like a dance, her thin skirt tangling between both their legs before tugging her forward.<p>

She looked up at him as she willingly followed, curious as to where he was leading her. But as soon as she saw the black and grey dappled mare in the pasture, she smiled so bright his breath caught at her beauty.

Both of their hearts fluttered, bright blue and dark chocolate eyes meeting, a feeling so new and warm spreading through them that it sparked an eternal flame in their hearts. It was, after all, the moment an immortal and unbreakable bond connected them, entwining their fates forever.

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><p>Did you like it? Please REVIEW, they make me happy and let me know people are reading my story. :)<p>

I'll get to writing real scenes and actual lines next chapter, because I know these ones have been weird and kinda cryptic. Thanks for reading! :)

Trinn


	3. Eyes Of Memory

_Read my AN at the bottom, kay? I don't own the Twilight Saga, Steph does, and we all love her for it._

_**The Phoenix & The Lion**_

Chapter #3 ~ Eyes Of Memory

Bright skies faded to black as night fell, the stars flickering like far away flames. A predator stalked through the trees, silent feet treading softly on the underbrush. Approaching a clearing, she slowly stepped into it, emerging from the treeline as she pricked her ears, listening intently for any sign of danger. Perfectly poised, she slunk from the shadows and into the pale light of the crescent moon. Her long, wavy dark hair rippled in the cold breeze and her body swayed as a feline's would, bare feet bringing her further into the open.

The skirt she wore fluttered, slightly tattered, a few speckels of dark red blood still wet and glistening on the long white fabric. Her large, bright and bloody scarlet eyes glowing from a very recent hunt.

The wind shifted and her hackles rose as she inhaled. Instantly her body was coiled like a snake's, ready to strike, a low and threatening growl building in her chest. The predator spun around, an unfamiliar scent filling her nose and causing a red haze to cloud her perfect vision. Senses flaring into bright precision, they guided her eyes towards the still silhouette of another predator, standing across the clearing.

From the shadows, she locked her vibrant crimson eyes with glowing, dark bloody ones.

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><p>Isabelle sat on the back of her father's ox cart, sorting through a crate with little jars of herbs and bottles of medecines. Her grandmother and her had made them to sell in the city, and to any travelers on their way. Her long, wavy auburn hair glinted in the sun, red streaks glittering along her pale shoulders. She wore a simple blue dress, with elbow sleeves and a rounded, moderate neckline. Sturdy blue slippers covered her feet as they dangled from the back of the cart, kicking slightly as her dress danced around her long legs.<p>

Her father stood across the dirt road, speaking to a man who was an inch or two taller than himself. The man had dark blond hair, with a few streaks of grey, and grey eyes that looked hard, but held a touch of softness. His body was thin but muscular, and he looked to be around the same age as Isabelle's father. Both men wore dun coloured Stetsons and clothing made of tough cloth for working. It was clear that they knew each other by the small smiles on each of their unshaved faces.

Isabelle smiled to herself, loving the new scenery around her. She had been to other, smaller towns closer to home with her father, but never as far as Houston. It had taken her much begging and work to come along, but she was so very glad she had. The thrill of the unknown - to her, atleast - was wonderful, and she had met new people and seen new things. Adventure had always been in her heart, and although it had gotten her in trouble many times, she would have traded it for nothing.

The town around her was bustling with life. Carts were everywhere, and there were people milling around and going about their daily lives. Children played in the street, chasing a mangy looking dog and shrieking with laughter. It warmed Isabelle's heart to see an elderly couple walking slowly down the road, laughing softly, their eyes full of old love. Couples always warmed her heart. Isabelle knew love existed, she knew what it was like to love someone, but she was young yet and love of that kind had not settled in her heart. Her fascination with books and knowledge had given her the information she needed as a young woman, and she knew she wanted to love the one she eventually married.

You see, in Isabelle's eyes, she saw the world as a rather unfair place. She had always been independent, even as a child, and perhaps that was why she had such trouble with doing as her mother asked. The young woman's mind had always been free and fierce, and so she knew that if she were to marry it would have to be to someone she deemed able to see her as an equal. Not a man who wanted her seen instead of heard, proper instead of individual, and as obedient as a well trained dog. No, Isabelle was rather quiet most of the time, and shy to those she did not know, but she had a mind of fire and words of poison when she wanted them. Love was what she longed for, and to see another happy with it made her heart become soft.

To her, love was everything.

"Isabelle." Charlie,her father, called, snapping the brunnet from her thoughts. Realizing that she had been staring at the elderly couple, she blushed lightly, and turned to her father.

"Yes, Papa?" She asked, her voice soft and curiouse. Charlie smiled at her, the handlebars of his moustache rising as his cheeks did.

"Come over here and say hello, darlin', there's someone I want'cha to meet."

Isabelle hoped down from the cart she sat on lightly, quickly brushing dust off of her blue skirt. The auburn hair trailing down her back swayed as she made her way to her father and the man she did not know, red streaks shining in the bright sunlight.

"This here is James Whitlock, he's a good friend of mine and I've known him since I was about your age. James, this here is my daughter, Isabelle." Charlie put a hand on Isabelle's shoulder, and she looked up at the man he introduced as James, giving him a soft smile, making the older man grin in return.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Mr. Whitlock. Papa says great things about you." She shook his hand, her pale one completely dwarfed by his large tan one.

"The pleasures all mine, Darlin', please call me James." His voice was kind, and it instantly made her like him. James turned to her father once again, letting go of her hand gently. "And may I say, what a beautiful daughter you have, my friend. As sweet as a Sweetwater Swan can get. She looks just a small bit younger than my two sons."

"Ahh, yes, Peter and Jasper, where are those boys?" Charlie asked, looking around.

Isabelle looked around, her eyes landing on a boy-or man, for he was far to defined and rough looking to be a mere boy. He sat in a chair, whittling a small piece of wood with a whickedly sharp knife, carefully slicing off each shaveing. Isabelle's first thought was that off how handsome he was, and she blushed a small bit when she realized it.

Although, Isabelle's thoughts were quite true. He had messy, golden blonde curls that reflected the midday sun, and though he was sitting, she could tell he was tall, and would dwarf her when he stood. He had a strong jaw with a small amount of stubble, and defined muscle showing along his exposed biceps and covered body. His hands, though rather large, easily cut the wood with deft precision, calluses lining his palms. The skin Isabelle could see was tanned by the hot Texas sun, and she couldn't help but wonder who he was.

Beside her, Charlie and James continued speaking, oblivious to her discovery. "Peter is with their uncle, and Jasper is somewhere around here." Glancing around, James found who he was looking for. "Jasper!"

Isabelle breathed a small gasp when the blonde man she was watching snapped his head up, and she locked her chocalate eyes with bright, cerulean ones.

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><p>...I'm sorry? I know, I'm getting evil glares right now, but now that the new semester is started I have easy classes, and more time. I had more than half of this chapter done, and I struggled with it, but then my computer decided that it hates me and <em>shut down <em>before I could save it. -.-

I really love feedback, and I see how many people read this story but don't review. Please? Just one word? I need help. Anything, a sudgestion, a comment, a question, ask away. Did you like it? **I'm gonna put up a poll, because(as you see on my profile) I think I'm gonna start a Transformers story. Yes or no?**

Thank you! - Love ~ Trinn


	4. AN So Freaking Sorry!

Hey all, I'd like to start out by saying that I am REALLY sorry that I haven't updated in forever. I'm actually posting this little AN because of it. So listen up :)

I started The Phoenix & The Lion without a clue what I was going to do with it. I had a very vague clue as to the first few chapters, but I decided that I'd give it a try. I love how my first few chapters came out, but I'm a bit of a perfectionist and it takes me forever to get what I want to say down how I like it.

I wanted to tell my readers that I don't think I'll get much farther in this story, and that I am soooooo sorry about it. Unless I get some random idea that I love of where to bring this story, it's gonna be on hiatus. You know I always appreciate and encourage ideas, so please, if you have any- and I don't care how stupid it is or how stupid you think it is- give me a review or send me a message.

Thank you SOO much! You guys were great, and I really hope I can find the motivation and manage to get over this writer's block for you all.

Lots of love

~ Trinn


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